Governor Mitch Daniels Signs Indiana Human Trafficking Law

Posted January 30, 2012

The Indiana legislature wanted to pass human trafficking legislation before the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Indiana has strengthened its human trafficking laws ahead of an anticipated spike surrounding the Super Bowl.

Governor Mitch Daniels signed the bill Monday, saying Indiana has put out a “Don’t Try It Here” sign to would-be traffickers. The legislation closes gaps in existing Indiana law, making it easier to prosecute human traffickers.

Past Super Bowls in other states have experienced a spike in those offenses around the event, spurring Indiana to address the issue quickly. Though law enforcement officials say there has been no apparent increase yet, Daniels says he hopes putting the law in place will have a deterrent effect.

“But if they should try it here, at least we know that our prosecutor and our law enforcement personnel will be armed with a tough law much more certain of producing successful prosecutions and long jail sentences,” he says.

According to Attorney General Greg Zoeller, law enforcement officers have been training in anticipation of the bill’s passage and can immediately begin enforcing it.

Brandon Smith has previously worked as a reporter and anchor for KBIA Radio in Columbia, MO, and at WSPY Radio in Plano, IL as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.

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